The Week that Was in Phillies Baseball
With the Phillies off to their worst start since 1982, manager Charlie Manuel is once again the focus of those who follow the team. To be accurate, he is always the focus of a certain segment of fans who assume that just because he will never win a debate on style points, he can’t possibly be capable of putting together a coherent thought. But with the team’s poor play and poorer results, additional attention is brought to Manuel, even by his usual supporters.
Manuel’s greatest support comes from the players on the team and the daily beat writers in the local media. Those two groups comprise the people that spend the most time with Manuel and know him best; they see the way he massages the egos of the players and have had enough conversations with him to know he is a kind baseball man that loves to talk hitting and wants to win. In other words, unlike his predecessor behind the managerial’s desk, he keeps things loose, and make no mistake, this is important.
His supporters are quick to point out that the one thing Manuel continually asked for this offseason was a stronger bullpen and while general manager Pat Gillick made many moves to (hopefully) fortify catcher, third base and the starting rotation, he did little to improve the bullpen, outside of the addition of some retreads.
But let’s stop and think about this for a minute. Yes, the bullpen is a weakness. However, look at the lineup, look at the starting rotation… Ryan Howard: MVP. Chase Utley: A player some around the league consider to be more important to winning than Ryan Howard. Cole Hamels: Cy Young winner-in-waiting. Brett Myers: electric stuff. Jimmy Rollins: One of the best players in baseball during this young season. The list goes on and on. Yes, the bullpen is a weakness, but this team as it is presently constructed should be able to surrender a couple of runs in the late innings and still be at .500 or so.
This is the third year of Manuel’s tenure as the Phillies manager, and for the third year in a row, the team is off to a slow start, this year being the slowest. Glacially slow. By now, it is glaringly apparent that Manuel, for all his ability to act as a lubricant to any friction that may arise in the clubhouse, he is incapable of getting a major league team ready to play in April the way the majority of other teams are ready to play.
A major league manager’s job is to get the most out of the talent he’s been given. Looking at this roster, can anyone say that Manuel is doing that? At the end of every yet another April, the answer is a resounding “no”. For that reason, it is time for a replacement. Anyone have Davey Johnson’s phone number?
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Adding to the attention that was already directed at Manuel on a local level, there was national attention added to the mix this week. On Tuesday night, Manuel got into a verbal brouhaha with a Philadelphia sports radio personality, which almost turned physical (Manuel had to be restrained twice), over a line of questioning at a post-game press conference after another tough loss by the Phils. [By the way, we all know who the "personality" is, but I'd rather not give him the satisfaction of adding to his publicity. Tuning into his show on Wednesday, Personality argued with Rob Maadi of the Associated Press for not calling Personality by name in his report of the incident. Next, he hung up on the following caller who labeled Personality a narcissist. You can't make this stuff up.]
To be fair, Manuel, or any manager of that matter, has to take the high-road with the media, no matter how a question is asked or how it is asked. Plainly, it is unprofessional to lose your cool that way. But while we are being fair, Personality had it coming. Ever since Manuel has arrived in town, Personality has been directing childish name calling in Manuel’s direction and there are few among us that would have let it go on for as long as Manuel has.
Question Manuel’s ability as a baseball manager if you want, but resorting to stereotypes that demean an entire region of the country is lazy, unprofessional, and uncalled for.
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Following Manuel’s incident with Personality, it was decided by Manuel and his staff that Brett Myers would move to the bullpen in hopes of stabilizing it. In two appearances so far, Myers has looked very good in his eighth-inning set-up role, but at the same time, closer Tom Gordon has looked shaky at best, blowing a save and taking a loss Friday night to the Cincinnati Reds.
The debate over where Myers is more valuable, pitching up to five days a week in short spurts or pitching every five days for the majority of the game will go on, but here’s a question: by the time the 2007 season is in the books, who will have more saves, Tom Gordon or Brett Myers?
My money is on Myers.
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The week ended with a wonderfully pitched game by Cole Hamels, one of the few Phillies who is off to a good start in April. On Saturday, Hamels struck out fifteen Reds batters and went the distance, a complete game. He allowed only one run, a solo home run off the bat of former Phillie Jeff Conine, walked only two and allowed just five hits, including Conine’s home run.
Despite allowing seven baserunners, Hamels faced only thirty-two batters. In the fifth inning, with runners on first and second an no outs, Hamels induced a ground ball off the bat of Reds catcher David Ross. Abraham Nunez fielded the ball near third base, stepped on the bag, and started a 5-4-3 triple play.
Hamels performance was part of a 4-1 win by the Phils, which featured a two-run double and a solo home run from Chase Utley as well as a solo home run by Aaron Rowand.
Let’s hope this is the type of game that turns a season around.
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Posted on April 22, 2007 by Tom | Filed Under Philadelphia, Phillies
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And then they win 2 straight. Today, everything happened the way it was supposed to. Chase got 2 doubles. Rybo got a dinger. The pitching was on.
Hopefully this is momentum we’re witnessing here.
Nice work my friend. I believe the tide is turning. Hopefully a red tide.